You Didn't Say Goodbye
by leebug1219
Summary: When someone is taken from you without warning you find yourself living with questions. This is her way of saying goodbye. Post JD, implied Jibbs. Final Chapter up. Thanks for reading, let me know what you think :
1. McGee

**Author's Note: **This is a story I have/had been wanting to do for a very long time. I was not impressed with how they killed of Jenny. They really didn't show a grieving process or anything with the characters. I got the idea for the story from NCIS Kill Ari where everyone is visited by the ghost of Kate. Basically, everyone is seeing Jenny for the last time and are able to say their peace, ask questions, yell, scream, cry- whatever. Also, they all won't see the "same" Jen- I tried to keep it to how their relationship was portrayed on the show. Please read and review- it lets me know if you guys think I suck and should hang it up... (edit 3/1/2010- obviously this is taking me a while to finish. I have noticed the first 2 chapters are a little weaker than the rest I have- they were the first things I had ever written, and I am becoming more comfortable so its getting better.... I encourage you to stick with it past the first 2 chapters.... please :) lol)

**Legal:** I am a broke college kid. If you recognize it, I don't own it. I only own the thoughts in my head....

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**Tim**

He most have dozed off at his typewriter. He had been trying to write the final chapter of his latest book. It was to be a farewell to Genine Tipford. She appeared right in front of him- dressed in a smart pants suit looking ever the part of the director that he had come to know and respect. "I thought I told you I didn't want to see a director Genine Tipford in your books, McGee," she said somewhat sternly but with humor in her eyes.

"Uh, well you see.. Umm.." McGee started stuttering trying to explain.

"Its fine McGee, I am only kidding. Listen to me Tim. You are the innocence of this team. And no matter what Tony says, you are great at your job. I wanted to thank you for your loyalty. Keep writing your books- they are your outlet from the craziness that this life brings. I have one request though- make sure that Agent Tibbs finds peace."

And then as fast as she had appeared, she was gone. McGee just sat there staring in shock at the place where she was. It was then that he got over the writer's block that had been plaguing him. He scratched everything that had been written. The chapter was no longer going to be a farewell- Director Tipford would live on- after all who else could tame Agent Tibbs the ways she did. And for the dedication he simply wrote: For the first female director of a federal agency- she will forever live in our hearts.


	2. Tony

**Tony**

He had been at sea for two weeks now. He blamed himself for Jenny's death- after all it was him that tried so hard to convince Ziva that following would be useless. He had not been able to sleep without aid since that night. She appeared in his room and was watching him struggle. "It is not your fault, Tony."

He sat up in surprise. She was wearing the blue shirt and jeans she had worn the day she died- the only difference was the lack of blood. "With all due respect director, yes it is. I should have ignored your order/ I should have followed you!"

"And I would have lost you. You should ask Jethro sometime how good I was at ditching the details."

At the mention of Gibbs' name, Tony looked down. "He was devasted you know. He looked so disappointed in me," Tony said with a noticeable hitch in his voice.

She reached out to comfort him. "Gibbs was not disappointed in you. If anything, he was angry with me. I left him, again, without saying goodbye. Tony, I wanted to apologize to you for all the hell I put you through this past year. I lost focus." When he didn't say anything she continued, "Don't lose your smile Tony. You are the backbone of the team."

He looked up at that and with hurt in his voice he replied, "There is no team director. I am on a boat, Ziva is God knows where, and Probie is stuck in the basement."

Jenny stroked his head and simply said, "Have faith in Jethro. You will be back to head slaps, pranking McGee, Abby's impossible hugs, and seeing just how far you can push Ziva's buttons before you know it." At this Tony smiled slightly. "Be safe, Tony. And please stop beating yourself up- what was meant to be was meant to be. Jethro needs his loyal St. Benard." And with that she was gone. Tony went back to laying in the bed and staring at the ceiling. It wasn't until he replayed the conversation in his head that he realized she had said "again". "Ha, I knew it," he said to himself as he thought of all the bets he had made regarding to the director and his boss. He finally fell asleep that night- the first night in a long time that he did not need some type of aid. While he still didn't fully stop blaming himself for the loss of Jenny- he felt a little more at peace with himself.


	3. Abby

So as you read this next part… Just remember that I started this quite a while ago, and season 6 hadn't happened. I didn't want to all of a sudden jump time. It isn't beta'd… but I tried to catch all mistakes. Although, sometimes my brain works faster than my fingers, so if you see something obvious- just let me know. And lastly, these next few chapters are dedicated to Ellie and ncisfangirl1- the first because she is just awesome, and helps with anything… and the 2nd because she is a sweetheart who said write more. While I can't promise anything… I hope to finish this story within the coming weeks.

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**Abby**

She knew the poor girl had not gone home in days. The lab was eerily quiet as the favorite sat in front of her computer dozing in and out of sleep. Jenny smiled as Bert's tell-tale sign sounded in the lab. "Abby, you need to go home."

"No, can't go home. That would make it real," came the sleepy reply from the overgrown child.

Jenny's heart constricted as she walked over to her and tried again. "Abby, you really need to go home."

With that Abby sat up with a start. She looked wide eyed at Jenny and started bouncing up and down. "You're here! You're here! I had this awful dream that you had died in LA and that Tony and Ziva were gone…" It was then that she saw the sad look on Jenny's face. "You aren't here are you?"

"Abby…" Jenny started. She wasn't sure what to say. The look of disappointment on the younger girl's face said more than enough.

"Director… I want to know why. Why didn't you let Tony and Ziva know where you were? Why didn't you let them help you? Why didn't you call Gibbs? Why? I just want to know why!" Abby sobbed. Jenny held her in an embrace as she continued to cry. "Daddy's not the same without mommy. And now the team is all split up. Tony is on a boat- he doesn't like boats. And Ziva was sent back to Israel. What if she doesn't come back?"

Jenny continued to hold the girl in a tight embrace and stroked her back like her mother used to do for her. Finally she spoke: "Abby, look at me." When the goth finally looked up with red-rimmed eyes Jenny continued. "I can't promise it is going to be easy. I can't even promise that it will be swift. But, I can promise that it will all work out in time."

Abby nodded as she rubbed her teary eyes. "Jenny, why didn't you ask for help?"

Jenny had a ghost of a smile on her face as she answered. "I did. And Franks did his part. Like I told you before, some things just aren't simple. But, I went out a fighter, and helped right a wrong from long ago."

Abby wiped at her eyes again, and replied with a simple "OK."

Jenny turned and walked towards the door. With a fleeting glance she looked back. "Take care of him, Abby. He is going to be a bear to deal with for the next few months, but just remember it will get better with time. And Abby, you really do need to go home and get some sleep. Jethro is the only person I know that can run on empty." And with that, she was gone.

The normally bubbly girl was solemn as she thought about what had just transpired. All of a sudden a new wave of sadness hit her as she realized everything that had happened the past few days was all real. But as fast as it came, it left and, a smile appeared on her face as a thought popped into her head: just wait until she tells Gibbs that she saw a ghost.


	4. Ziva

**Author's Note:** Hey look a new chapter, lol. I want to thank everyone who has read this story and also to those who have offered reviews. Those mean more than you can imagine. I am sorry this is taking so long to finish- I got stuck on a couple of characters and just did not know how to proceed. Good news is I only have Ducky and Gibbs left, and I have a really strong opinions and ideas on where I want to take their story and goodbye so hopefully the last two updates will be the fastest ones every. :-) Also, when I published the Abby chapter had been acting up, so if you missed it, it is the one before this one. I am noticing that I am getting more comfortable w/ writing and therefore the chapters are longer (& I personally think better...) that the 1st two- should I redo them?

I would like to encourage you all to leave reviews. Seeing how many hits on my stories makes my heart flutter, but I don't know if you guys like what I am doing, if you think I suck and need to pack it up or what.

I also wanted to say I have another story that is in need of an update- it is called Love Happens. The plan with that one was to do a series of oneshots based around quotes about love. I am in need of quotes- it doesn't have to be about romantic love- i am open to family/friendship love, lust, etc- and they can be funny, serious.... well, I think that is all of my rambling for now. Hope you enjoy.

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**Ziva**

Jennifer Shepard stood in the back of the crowed café watching her friend perform. Over many months and tireless missions a lifetime ago, Ziva had become more than just a friend- she was a confidant and sister. It broke Jen's heart to see that the younger woman was struggling because of the life changing decision she'd had to make when she heard the word Oshimato. Ziva was a beautiful woman. The words of the song just seemed to roll of her lips. It was not the first time she had seen this performance- Ziva had been known to do impromptu shows for lonely men in a bar whenever Jenny needed to sneak in or out unnoticed for a mission they were on. In her moment of awe watching the beauty turn all eyes on her, Jenny missed the bomb being set down in close proximity of the Israeli. Ziva saw what was about to happen, but it was too late. The loud boom was heard and Ziva fell to the ground. Next thing she knew, everything was eerily quiet. She opened her eyes and looked around the room- something was very wrong. She had seen this place before but could not quite place it. She heard a noise that sounded like someone getting ice out of a tray and she instantly tensed. It hit her where she had seen this place before- it was the safe house where her and Jenny had hid when Jenny had been severely wounded on one of their missions. She heard footsteps coming closer and she made to grab the knife she had hidden precariously on her body.

"You won't be needing that," came the light voice that Ziva recognized instantly.

"Jenny?" Ziva said bewildered. "Your dead, I saw you lying there."

Jenny sighed and the smile on her face dropped for half a second before she quickly recovered. "Yes, unfortunately I am."

Ziva just stared at the wall looking past her friend not knowing what to think. She believed in ghosts, but it was the man made kind- the kind where the ghost is a real person but is made to appear and disappear at the behest of a government agency. Jenny took a towel and wiped the blood that was trickling down Ziva's face. She then handed the ice pack to the younger girl and told her to put it on her head. Ziva blindly took it and did what Jenny told her to. She was not sure what was going on and then it hit her, she may be dead too.

"Am I…" Ziva started almost apprehensive.

"No, you are not dead," Jenny told her friend calmly. "But you are going to be if you don't get your head in the game! I don't know what is going on with you and Agent Dinozzo but you are both pulling probie mistakes." Jenny finished sternly.

Ziva automatically put up a defensive front. "I am not!"

"Please," Jenny remarked while rolling her eyes. "When we first started working together one of the first things you told me was 1. Know your mark, 2. Know their enemies, and 3. Know their weapons. You let your guard down and a bomb blew you into a wall! What the hell has gotten into you?"

The normally tough as nails assassin seemed to deflate. Jenny had only seen her this submissive maybe twice before, and was quite positive her teammates had never seen this side of her. Finally in almost a whisper, she responded, "You did." Ziva raised her eyes to meet Jenny's only to see a perplexed look on the older woman's face. "Why didn't you trust me, trust us?!"

"I did, I do…" Jenny started but was interrupted by a loud NO.

"You didn't trust us, YOU called Franks to have your backup. YOU told us to stay away!"

"It wasn't your battle."

"We were your protection, it was our battle."

"No it wasn't. It was my battle from long ago."

"But we could have helped you. We could have helped!"

"I was not going to risk your life or Tony's life for something I should have taken care of long ago."

"But we were your protection- it is understood that things could happen…"

"It wasn't your battle."

"But…"

"No buts… it wasn't your battle. You saved my life once. And I am forever thankful for that, but you can't expect that to happen every time. I am not going to have you stand in harms way because you think that is how it works. My life is no more important than yours. This was my mess, and I needed to clean it up."

Ziva slowly exhaled as a tear ran down her cheek. "I feel like I failed you."

Jenny let a sad smile grace her face. "You could never fail me."

"Gibbs looks at us like we failed you- like we failed him."

"No, Gibbs is just mad at me and is taking it out on everyone in a 100 mile vicinity. He understands you were given an order to stay away."

As she sat soaking in everything that Jenny had said and staring out the window, she let out a tiny whisper. "Now what?"

Jenny smiled and tilted Ziva's head so that she was looking at her as she said: "Now you go back to kicking ass. You keep your head in the game so that you know what is coming at you. You do your job. And when the day is done, you remind yourself that while we may not like all orders, we must follow them in order to achieve our goals."

Ziva nodded her head slightly and quietly replied "Yes m'am."

Jenny reached out and pulled her friend, her sister into a tight hug. She whispered in the other girl's ear. "Everyday isn't going to be good- there will be rough times. But keep the faith that it is going to get better. Don't shut out the people closest in your life- they need you as much as you need them. And remember, some rules are made to be broken- like Rule 12, if that is your desire."

Suddenly a bright flash and a sharp pain flew through Ziva's body. The sounds of chaos were surrounding her and she saw flashing blue and red lights.

"Jenny?" Ziva choked out.

A masculine voice replied. "You are going to be all right. We are putting you in the ambulance now."

Ziva looked around her slowly not quite grasping anything. "What happened?" she questioned the man.

"Bomb. You got really lucky. From where you were positioned you should have had much more extensive injuries, maybe even be dead." Ziva just blinked her eyes at him as he continued. "It is almost as if something was shielding you from the blast and debris. I have never seen anything like it."

Ziva closed her eyes trying to block out the world. She thought of the things Jen had told her. She still thought she should have done more. As reality set in on just how close to death she had come she squinted her eyes to stop any tears that might try to escape. Quietly she thought to herself, "Thank you Jenny."

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_End Note: _When I was writing this, I intentionally wrote it for Ziva to be kind of breaking down. She had just lost her boss, mentor, friend. I know that Ziva is supposed to be the ice queen- nothing can touch her Mossad coat of armor. But realistically, she is human. She may not break down & show emotions in front of people, but it doesn't mean she doesn't have them (the bathroom scene when Gibbs was in a coma for example). Also, to me, Ziva seemed to give up a little bit b/w Jenny's death and this season. Honestly, to me this season when she returned from Africa she seemed to be an extremely broken person who was not sure of herself at all- which is a major difference from the badass girl that we were introduced to in season 3. So I think that is part of the reason I wrote her chapter the way I did- maybe if she would have been able to make peace with what happened, some of the other wouldn't have happened. Hope you enjoyed it.


	5. Ducky

Ducky was sitting beside the fire, looking through a picture book of two of his favorite agents. They were all candid shots- taken without their knowledge but it showed them in their truest form. It had been a year since she had passed, but her presence was missed severely. Jethro needed his sparring partner and the team had become more jaded without her.

She watched him look through the pictures with reverence. They caught her attention because they were pictures of her- and while she could place the locations and even the time period, she couldn't remember them ever being taken. There were some of her probie days- goofing off with team members when they probably shouldn't have been and stealing glances with Jethro when they thought no one was watching (obviously wrong there…). And then there were some of the later years- still with stolen glances only this time with regret and longing behind the looks. Then there was the last picture- it was taken at a team barbeque that Abby had guilted all of them into attending by either bringing up missed concerts or the fact that certain team members never stopped working. She smiled as she recalled Abby's childlike puppy dog face trick and how even her, the ice queen couldn't say no. Whoever took the shot did a good job- it caught all of them in a laugh and made it truly look like a family picture being taken. When she noticed he had closed the book, she walked up and placed her hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly at the touch and Jenny smiled, "Not expecting to see me again, huh?"

Ducky shook his head and wiped his eyes. When he still saw her there he decided that if he were seeing and hearing things he was already too far gone so talking back shouldn't be too crazy. "Well, my dear, while it is common knowledge that I talk to my patients, they have never spoken back- and they definitely have never come and visited a year later… so, what do I owe this honor?"

Jenny sidestepped his question for the moment and nodded to the album. "Nice pictures you have there," she said with a smirk. "I didn't realize you were such a sneaky photographer; especially since I very rarely remember you with a camera."

Ducky chuckled at her comment. "Oh it wasn't me, dear one. They just gave them to me for safe keeping with wishful thinking that one day they would be yours and Jethro's."

Jenny slightly winced at the comment but recovered quickly. "Who are they?" she wondered aloud.

Ducky's smile got even bigger. "They would be the team- both old and current. And random strangers who would see you two being oblivious to all around and would not be able to resist taking a picture. And when they would find the colleague that was always inevitably around, they would take down information of how to send the picture to you."

Jenny stood and stared in amazement. "Wow. And I always thought my senses were so acute."

Ducky smiled and shook his head- "they were when they needed to be."

Jenny smiled and picked up the book slowly turning the pages, reliving some of the moments. When she came to the snapshot of the two of them at the Marine Corp Ball she chuckled. "This was a fun night- definitely what the doctor ordered after the lead up to it," she sighed rolling her eyes just a bit. Those few days and even hours beforehand had been some of the most stressful of her career.

"Yes those were a very trying time. I still remember young Anthony declaring he wanted a divorce immediately from Ziva," he chuckled. "And not that I minded escorting you that night, but I think Jethro was a little miffed he didn't get to take you. You looked extremely beautiful and radiant that night."

Jenny blushed and replied simply, "He would have complained the entire night." In truth she had thought about asking him to escort her but thought he would turn her down. And then her director side came through to her brain saying what would people think if she showed up with a lead agent? She knew that even though she had climbed the ladder on her merits there were still people who thought she slept her way to the top- and even more persistent then that rumor was the one where she had slept with her lead agent when she was a probationary agent. Ok, so that rumor was true but to her knowledge, nobody but Ducky had any concrete knowledge of the relationship and she was pretty sure he wouldn't betray hers' or Jethro's trust in confirming gossip.

Ducky shook his head- those two would always be the most stubborn people he knew. He watched her expression as she looked at the picture of her and Jethro standing close on the upper landing, talking about something only they knew. "So Jennifer, not that I mind your visit, because you are dearly missed, but to what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked with less curiosity and more prodding.

Jenny bit her lip. "I just wanted to see my favorite medical examiner again."

Ducky quietly laughed at her tactics. "While I am not totally immune to your charm, it is my professional belief as a psychologist that there is more to it than that."

Jenny bit her lip even harder. She looked up but didn't look at him- more like past him. With a shaky voice she finally replied. "I didn't get to say goodbye. I didn't get to say thank you. You kept my secret from everyone and I know that couldn't have been easy- especially with Gibbs being Gibbs."

"It wasn't for me to tell. I wasn't even sure I should say anything after you were gone."

"You did the right thing, Ducky. How is he- how are they, really?"

"They are healing- as best they can. Abby became more affectionate, Tony more Gibbs like, and I think Ziva doesn't trust herself anymore. McGee has stepped up to be a rock, but his writing has gotten a little darker at times."

Jenny closed her eyes, trying to hide the guilt she felt. "How is HE, Ducky."

"Gibbs is Gibbs. He was pissed off for a while- pissed you didn't tell him about Svetlana, pissed you didn't tell him about your disease, pissed you left him with Vance…" the last part said with a slight chuckle, and Jenny smirked. "Some days are better than others, but I think he is slowly realizing that you two were two peas in a pod- both as stubborn as all get out and you had to do what was right for you, even if that means he couldn't control the outcome."

Jenny winced at the saying she had said all too often, even if it was true. "And how are you, Ducky? You watch over everyone else- are you watching over yourself?"

Ducky gave a slight smile. "No need to worry about me dear. I deal with death every day, although I have to admit it is different when it is someone so close and dear to your heart. But, I know you are out of pain and don't have to worry about anything happening to you anymore," he reasoned.

Jenny patted his shoulder and gave him a watery smile. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Why certainly."

"Why didn't you perform my autopsy? You did Kate and Paula."

Ducky grew abnormally quiet. He looked at her and tears began to form in his eyes. "Other than Mother and her pesky dogs, you, Jethro, and now the team are the closest thing I have to a real family. I just couldn't be the one to do that to you."

"Oh," was all Jenny could manage to reply. And then she did something that stunned even Ducky- she reached out and grabbed him into a bear hug. Just as she was about to release him she whispered into his ear. "Thank you."

With tears welling up in both of their eyes, Jenny let out a laugh and asked: "Ducky, will you tell me a story?"

Ducky chuckled too and replied that she knew all his stories. But she managed to convince him that there had to be something she hadn't heard. "Well, how about this. After Vance was suddenly promoted he decided there was a mole within NCIS and the best way to catch them was to unceremoniously split up the A-Team…"

Even though Jenny already knew this, she looked on with apt attention and mumbled under her breath "dumbass".

"Well, Tony saw his worst nightmare come true- he was stationed on a ship for a little over four months. I heard when he was told he was getting to get off the ship he went screaming through the halls and kissed the tarmac when they landed."

Jenny smiled at this and quietly laughed as she could very well imagine Anthony DiNozzo doing just that. She encouraged Ducky to continue on with his tails of the team during happier moments and watched as he finally dozed on off to sleep. She then smiled to herself and looked around one last time.

When Ducky woke the next day, he thought to himself about the strange but very pleasant dream he had that night. He went to pick up and put away the picture album he had been looking at when a small slip of paper with delicate but instantly recognizable handwriting fell to the floor. Intrigued he picked it up and read what it said.

_Ducky, don't ever doubt yourself for following my wishes. I would rather them remember me as the pig headed director that I was then someone who literally lost control of her mind and body. If you ever think he is ready, share the pictures with Him. Make Him remember that a person can be happy. If you can, don't let Tony turn into Gibbs. One is enough. Remember to take care of yourself too. Thank you for everything over the years.  
Much Love, Jenny  
~PS You were my family too, and for that I am forever grateful._

**

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Author's Note: So this is the longest chapter I have written, and I took a few liberties with deal with Jenny's autopsy and also made this visit after a longer period of being gone then the rest of them are. If it is a little dark, I am sorry- there is stuff going on in my life and this was actually a perfect outlet. Gibb's chapter is the only one left, and as many of you guessed, I kept him last on purpose. Now that I am a little more comfortable writing, I was thinking of redoing Tony and McGee- what do you think? I am going to try and write Gibb's chapter tonight when I get back home, but I would like someone to read it before I post it- if there are any takers. If not, I will have it up by the middle of the week. If you could leave a review and let me know what you think- about anything I would love it. And as always, I don't own NCIS- otherwise the badass females they seem to like to kill off would still be alive ****.**


	6. Gibbs

She opened the door to the basement and peered down the steps. She was not surprised to see him down there, but she was surprised to not see a boat taking up the majority of the place. She slowly walked down the steps and smiled- while he might not have been working on a boat, he was working on something. What exactly it was, she was not sure. She finally got the courage to open her mouth and cheekily said in exasperation, "You burned down my house, Jethro!"

He didn't even blink. It was almost like he was expecting her- that she wasn't dead and she came around all the time. And without looking up from what he was doing, he replied in his normal gruff manner. "I didn't think you would be needing it."

Jenny rolled her eyes. She knew this was not going to be an easy visit. Saying goodbye to Jethro was never an easy feat. That is why she normally preferred not to, at least not in person. "I am sorry Jethro."

He was too stunned to recite the apology rule to her. They were both such stubborn people that other than the first week with her as a probie, he had never heard those words come from her mouth. As soon as he got his thoughts back he came back with a snarky reply: "For what Director Shepard? Leaving without notice? Coming back without notice? Leaving without notice, again? Or for doing what was best for you- God be damned the consequences to everyone else."

She winced at his words. They stung worse than anything she had ever felt. She bit her lip and closed her eyes. Finally she quietly said, "all of the above."

He looked up at her tone. She never cried in front of people. In fact the only time she had ever cried, that he knew about, was after a fiasco in Serbia, and after the fiasco with Tony being presumed dead. She didn't know he knew though. As mad as he was, he didn't to be the reason for her tears. "Well, shit happens and apparently we all have reckless streaks."

She snorted very un-lady like. "It wasn't all bad, you know. We did have some fun times in between car chases, stakeouts, hospitals, and arguments." He looked up and smiled at her words as she continued, "and even some of the stakeouts and arguments had their upsides…"

"I wish you would have told me."

"You couldn't have done anything about it," she replied even though she wasn't sure which situation he was talking about.

"I could have gone with you…" he started but was interrupted.

"No, you couldn't have. There are some journeys in life we must take alone." She watched his shoulders tense so she walked over to the messy counter, dumped a jar of nails and filled it with bourbon. "As much as you want to believe you are Superman, Jethro, you can't save everyone. It is just not feasible."

Jethro looked resigned to this fact. "I don't try to save everyone," he said- almost with the tone of a whiney five year old.

Jenny would have chuckled at his tone if the conversation was about anything else. She walked over behind him and started and started massaging his shoulders, trying to get him to relax some. "You know if you slept in a bed every once in a while, you wouldn't be so tight." To this she got a noncommittal grunt. She leaned over his shoulder to see what he was doing. "What are you working on? And where is your boat? You didn't burn it did you?"

"No I didn't burn it. I gave it to Franks who got into a shootout on it and then sent it sailing into a Navy Harbor."

Jenny restrained her laughter. There was always something with his boats.

"And I am working on a picture frame for Abby. Ducky had some pictures out the other day and Abby saw one of all of us from the barbeque and demanded that I make a frame for it so she could put out a family picture."

Jenny smiled at this. Abby was definitely the favorite. If anyone else would have asked, he would have told them to buy a frame if they wanted one so bad.

They stayed in a companionable silence for a while- him working delicately on the frame, her standing behind him with her chin on his shoulder just watching. Finally, she leaned in and gave him a wisp of a kiss on his cheek. "I have to go."

He turned and looked at her solemnly. "I know."

She caressed his face and leaned down so that their foreheads touched. "Don't cause too many problems," she said with a smile- to which he grunted. Then she left a whisper of a kiss on his lips and was gone.

The next day Jethro went back down to the basement to put the finishing touches on the frame for Abby. He told her he would have it done today. He swore he could still smell her scent lingering in the room and feel her lips on his. He still was not totally okay with everything that had happened, but he had learned over the past year or so that you cannot change the past and you have to accept it and move on. He went to pick up Abby's picture and put it in the frame when he saw a picture of him and Jenny standing in a fountain with her on his back. He flipped it over and saw her note:

_ What will be, will be. __Je t'aime toujours._

Jethro grinned at the saying- she used to drive him crazy with that saying. He put the picture down, grabbed the gift for Abby and turned to leave. With one last look to the basement he quietly said, "I miss you Jenny."

**

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End Note: That is all folks. I hope you enjoyed the story. Thanks to all of you have reviewed- you have no idea how happy seeing those little emails in my inbox make me. And thank you to everyone who has put the story on alert, or just read it even. This has been a long work in progress. **


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